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Chronic bronchitis in children

Alexey Kryvenko, medical expert
Last reviewed: 07.07.2025

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Chronic bronchitis in children is a chronic widespread inflammatory lesion of the bronchi, occurring with repeated exacerbations, at least 3 times in 2 years. In childhood, it is usually a manifestation of other chronic lung diseases. As an independent disease, it is diagnosed when excluding chronic pneumonia, pulmonary and mixed forms of cystic fibrosis, ciliary dyskinesia syndrome and other chronic lung diseases, congenital malformations of the bronchi and lungs.

Passive and active smoking, xenobiotics and pollutants, foci of chronic infection play a major role in the development of chronic bronchitis. Hereditary predisposition is also significant.

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Symptoms of chronic bronchitis in children

The most characteristic symptom is a prolonged dry cough during the remission period, and a wet cough during the exacerbation period. The exacerbation lasts 2-3 weeks or more. Sputum is mucopurulent, mostly in small quantities, and is coughed up with difficulty. Hard breathing is heard in the lungs, as well as widespread dry and wet medium- and large-bubble rales without clear localization. The number of wheezes increases during exacerbation, decreases during remission, but they continue to be heard for several months.

Where does it hurt?

Chest pain

Chest pain with coughing

What's bothering you?

Lung wheezing

Cough

Diagnostic criteria for chronic bronchitis

productive cough with sputum;
constant, moist, varying-caliber wheezing in the lungs for several months with 2-3 exacerbations of the disease per year for 2 years.

Laboratory blood tests during the exacerbation period reveal moderate leukocytosis, neutrophilia with a left shift in the leukocyte formula, and an increase in ESR. Examination of the external respiratory function reveals moderately severe obstructive disorders.

On radiographs, the pulmonary pattern is enhanced both during the period of exacerbation and during the period of remission. Unlike chronic pneumonia, there are no signs of local pneumosclerosis.

During bronchoscopy during the period of exacerbation, catarrhal or catarrhal-purulent widespread endobronchitis without clear localization is determined.

Bronchograms show no gross deformations of the bronchial tree.

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